Congress president Sonia Gandhi now leading by 169225 votes in Rae Bareli.

AAP spokesperson Vaibhav Maheshwari said that Justice Fakhruddin has withdrawn on person ground. Since only onde day was left for nomination, party had no time to go through other names and decided to field its local leader Archana Srivastava, he added. Srivastava (60), he said, is lawyer and a social worker who has been working in Rae Bareli for long and also took part in Anna movement for Jan Loppal.

In a setback to Aam Aadmi Party. party candidate from Rae Bareli Justice (retired) Fakhruddin refused to contest the election. He was pitted against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. AAP has now fielded a local social worker Archana Srivastava. Only a day is left for nomination.

Sonia will also preside over a meeting of the central vigilance and monitoring committee and laterl lay foundation stone of the forged wheel plant at Rail Coach Factory in Lalganj besides addressing a public meeting. The plant is being set up with the assistance of Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi will be on a one-day visit to her Parliamentary constituency of Rae Bareli on Tuesday. She will reach Gora Bazar in the morning, after which she will lay foundation stone of city resource centre of housing and urban poverty alleviation ministry.